Abklatsch van een krijttekening 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this chalk transfer drawing, or “Abklatsch”, and honestly, it looks like a ghost of a drawing, like a faded memory. You can see the smudges and the soft, almost misty quality of the chalk. I’m thinking about Israels in his studio, maybe he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a figure in motion. You know, like when you’re trying to remember a dream before it vanishes? This piece is so light, so ephemeral, it's like he’s wrestling with something that’s just out of reach. I wonder, was he satisfied with this ghostly impression, or was it just a step in his process, a way to see something from a different angle? It's cool to see how artists play with the same ideas, like Degas and his monotypes, or even Rauschenberg with his transfers. They’re all chasing after that elusive image, trying to pin it down, but also letting it breathe and change in the process.